Connected
by Heliotrope
Summary: "The remains of Soushi's core live on inside of me. He sees what I see, and feels what I feel. He is a part of me - we are connected." - contains KazuMisa, KazuSou and KazuSouMisa  in a way .


Disclamier: Shockingly, I don't own Fafner or its characters; they belong to Xebec and Hisashi Hirai.

Author's note: Ever since I first watched Heaven and Earth, I instantly became a Misao fangirl, and I wanted to write a KazuMisa fanfic. It's my guilty pleasure pairing - even though I'm obviously a KazuSou fan at heart and long for the two of them to become an official couple. Hopefully I have written the KazuMisa pairing in as "realistic" a way as possible; since clearly Kazuki is in love with Soushi, not Misao.

I started this fanfic before I'd seen the subtitled version of HaE, so if there are any continuity errors, please ignore them. lol. Also be warned that this story contains spoilers for HaE; especially the ending. But surely all us Fafner fans already know who HaE ends?

With that said, enjoy the story.

* * *

><p><span>CONNECTED<span>

Misao slowly brought the spoonful of curry up to his face, his soft green eyes narrowing as he peered curiously at the food, before shoving it into his mouth. He paused, eyes widening for an instant, before closing in obvious pleasure.

"Mmmm! Kazuki, this tastes great!" Misao exclaimed happily.

"Thank you," Kazuki said. He leaned back in his chair and continued to watch as the other boy shoveled the food into his mouth. After a moment he sighed, and dug around for something in his pocket. "Kurusu."

The sound of his name made him halt his feasting, and look over at Kazuki. "Eh? What is it?" He blinked owlishly when a napkin was pressed against his mouth.

"You need to slow down - you're getting it all over your face," Kazuki explained, once he'd finished cleaning him up.

Misao's gaze lowered to the table sheepishly. "Is that a bad thing? Sorry, Kazuki; it just tasted so nice that I wanted to have as much of the nice taste, as quickly as I could."

'_... He's cute,_' Kazuki thought before he could stop himself. Even to his blurry eyesight, Misao's expression was rather fetching. He felt like he should be angry with Misao, that he should hate him: he was a Festum. He and his kind were causing so many problems for their island. But for some reason he felt strangely drawn to him. Soushi had wanted him to meet him, after all. "It's fine. Just eat a little slower from now on."

"Okay!" After a few minutes Misao dropped his spoon down on the table, licking his lips like a contented cat. "Thanks for the food, Kazuki."

Kazuki nodded, and then asked, "Kurusu... how did you know about my curry?"

"Soushi told me," Misao replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Soushi tells me lots of things; about the island, the Fafner... about you. And, um, I wanted to meet you. And since I was created in this body, I got my chance."

"Yeah, I guess you did," Kazuki said somewhat bitterly, his fists clenching. "Where is Soushi, now?"

"He is in nothingness at the moment. He is waiting for his chance to be reborn." Misao smiled gently and place a hand on his chest, over his heart. "But also, because he was assimilated by us… The remains of Soushi's core live on inside of me. He sees what I see, and feels what I feel. He is a part of me - we are connected," he explained, resting his other hand on top of Kazuki's.

Kazuki shuddered at the touch of the other boy's hand; somehow it felt so much like Soushi's own that it made a pang of longing ache deep within his heart. _'Soushi, are you really in there?_'

"Hey, Kazuki, did you bring any other 'Kazuki' meals with you?"

Kazuki was jolted out of whatever spell Misao had put him under, and he pulled his hand away hastily. "Um, no, sorry," he mumbled awkwardly, getting to his feet. "I'll have to go to the cafe if you want something else."

Misao jumped up, grabbing hold of Kazuki's arm as he began to head for the door. "Kazuki, wait! Can I... can I come with you?"

"Well… I don't know if my dad would be too happy about that. I don't think he wanted you wandering around outside on your own."

"But I won't be on my own, I'll be with you," Misao replied, a pout forming on his face. "I really want to see more of the island..."

Kazuki quickly found himself giving in to the oddly adorable pleading expression that Misao aimed at him. "Fine, alright, you can come with me."

The guards glanced up in surprised as Kazuki strolled out of the room, Misao tagging along behind him like an eager puppy. "I'm taking Kurusu with me for a while," he announced.

"But, Kazuki, Commander Makabe said-"

"He'll be fine with me - I won't let him cause any trouble. We won't be gone for very long," Kazuki said, smiling at them reassuring. The guards exchanged glances before reluctantly giving him a nod of approval.

* * *

><p>"Ah! Kazuki, look; isn't the sky beautiful?" Misao exclaimed, leaning precariously over the railings as he gazed up at the sky in wonder.<p>

"Kurusu, get away from there, it's dangerous," Kazuki said in warning, beginning to feel a little exasperated at the other boy. The short trip to the Rakuen cafe was taking an age, as Misao kept stopping to examine everything he found; flowers, trees, birds, insects, and now apparently, the view.

Misao sighed contentedly, closing his eyes as the warm breeze rushed against his face, ruffling his hair. "The wind feels good, too." A loud cough from behind him startled him out of his daze. "Oh, um, sorry, Kazuki. I'm keeping us waiting," he apologised, hurrying up the stone steps after Kazuki.

The cafe was dark and empty when they reached it, and Misao seemed surprised. "Um, Kazuki, it says it's closed," he said, pointing to the sign on the door.

"That's no problem; I have the key," Kazuki replied, fishing the key out of his pocket and unlocking the door.

Misao stepped inside, glancing around curiously as Kazuki flicked the lights on. "This is where you work?" Misao murmured, wandering around until he came to the table right in front of the window. He pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing a menu and beginning to read through it.

"Yeah. I do all the cooking here," Kazuki said, shutting the door after them, and then sitting down across from Misao. He stared down at the tablecloth, a frown covering his face - somehow Misao had managed to pick his favourite table to sit at, when he was here alone, when he... talked to Soushi in his mind. And Misao was sitting where Soushi always sat. _'Did he know or was it just a coincidence?_'

Misao looked up from the menu to see Kazuki staring blankly ahead, his elbows resting on the table, his head in his hands, seeming to be lost in thought. "Kazuki, are you all right?" he asked in concern, Kazuki looked so lonely just sitting there like that.

"Yeah, I- I'm fine," said Kazuki, his voice rough. He heard the scraping of the chair against the floor, and looked up to see Misao standing next to him. His breath caught in his throat as the brunette leant over him, wrapping his arms around his neck and resting his chin on top of his head.

"I'm sorry you're feeling so sad right now, Kazuki. But once this is all over and our islands are at peace, Soushi will come back to you," Misao murmured into his dark hair.

_'Stop it._' Kazuki thought, squeezing his eyes shut. _'Stop reminding me of Soushi._' He pulled away from Misao's embrace, clearing his throat. "We came here to get you some more food, right? So let's get it."

As Kazuki went to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards and the fridge, he paused, suddenly realising the mistake he'd made. "I've just remembered; there won't be any food here right now. We sold out of everything today, and all the food that I've prepared for tomorrow is still at my house. We'll have to go there instead."

Misao brightened up when he heard this. "That's good, I wanted to see what your house was like."

"Yes. We'll go there now - but this time can you not stop to gawp over every little thing you see, otherwise we'll be out all night."

* * *

><p>True to his word, Misao didn't stop once, in fact he seems very eager to get there. And it only took them a few minutes to reach the Makabe's little house.<p>

Kazuki ushered Misao inside the tiny living room. "Take a seat," he said, gesturing towards the dining table. He pulled open the kitchen door and went to the fridge. "I have some 'Kazuki pudding' here if you'd like to try that."

"OK!" Misao beamed at him cheerfully. He picked up the spoon and poked at the little plateful of desert that Kazuki presented to him. The dome-shaped mound of sponge cake, topped off with chocolate sauce and strawberry slices looked delicious, and Misao licked his lips in anticipation. He chomped down on the spoonful of pudding, and almost moaned out loud at the taste - he wasn't disappointed.

"Do you want a drink?" Kazuki asked, turning back to the fridge.

"Sure," Misao nodded, steadily making his way through the pudding. He sighed happily again when he'd finished, sucking on the spoon for any remaining traces of flavour. "You really are a wonderful cook, Kazuki. Soushi told me that he thinks it tastes great, too."

Kazuki slammed the fridge door shut abruptly, making Misao jump in alarm. "Soushi... hasn't had the chance to taste my new meals yet, Kurusu," he muttered darkly, setting down two glasses of juice on the table in front of them.

They sat in an awkward silence as Kazuki drank and Misao stared down at his hands, shifting about in his seat as though he was trying to work up the courage to talk.

"Um, Kazuki, I'm glad we've come back to your house. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, and I wanted us to be here when I said it," Misao said quietly, seeming very shy and nervous all of a sudden. "I wanted to ask you something. Actually... Soushi's the one who wanted to ask you."

"Soushi…? What does he want to ask me?" Kazuki said, taking a sip of juice.

"He... he wanted to ask if you'd make love to me."

Kazuki almost choked on his drink. "W-what?" he spluttered.

"Would you make love to me?"

Kazuki continued to gape like a fish out of water. He couldn't believe it. Soushi really wanted him to... do _that_ with this boy? Why? Kazuki suddenly recalled Misao's earlier words: _Soushi sees what I see, and feels what I feel._ Kazuki's face quickly grew burning hot as he realised the implication - if he made love to Misao, would Soushi feel it, too...?

"Kazuki. I know that you've been hurting inside, that you've been missing Soushi greatly. Soushi has missed you so much, too. He wanted to see you so much, to feel your touch, to be close to you. And this way you can be together, even if he doesn't have a proper body yet. Soushi asked me if I would allow it, and I said yes. So please, grant him his wish."

Kazuki felt something inside him snap at Misao's words.

Misao yelped in surprise as he was suddenly dragged to his feet and pulled flush against Kazuki's body. He blinked at him in confusion, and then his eyes widened as Kazuki's hand cupped the back of his head and pulled him forward, crushing their mouths together. Kazuki felt Misao gasping, and took the chance to plunge his tongue inside, exploring the warm, wet cavern. He tasted sweet and spicy; of something strangely familiar and yet thoroughly unknown. It was wonderful.

Kazuki's eyes sprung open, and he shoved Misao away from him, sending him stumbling backwards and holding on to the kitchen counter for support. Kazuki felt shame flood through him as he watched Misao panting harshly for breath, a hand coming up to press against his swollen lips.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Kurusu. I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what came over me," Kazuki murmured, his throat feeling dry. "I'm sorry, but I can't do what you ask. No matter what you say, you're not really Soushi. And I... I-"

As Kazuki struggled to find the right words, an oddly focused look filled Misao's eyes, and he stepped forward, reaching up to touch Kazuki's cheek, tilting his face towards him, so that he was sure he had Kazuki's attention.

"Kazuki... it's me."

Kazuki went rigid at the sound of that voice. "... Soushi?" It was him; it was really his voice; and not just weak and echoey like a dream inside his head, but solid and real, as though he was right there in front of him...

"Yes, it's me, Kazuki. I really am here." Soushi smiled through Misao as he felt Kazuki relax under his touch, unconsciously nuzzling his face against his hand. "I can feel you right now through these hands, and I can see you right now through these eyes - even though you can't see me that well any more. "

"Soushi...!" Kazuki couldn't bring himself to say anything else, trembling under the gentle touch.

"I promise you I'll be back soon - properly this time. But until that time comes, won't you accept this gift?" Soushi asked in a whispery voice, before leaning forward and kissing Kazuki.

Kazuki sighed against his lips, letting his eyes flutter shut. He brought his hands up to run through soft, silky hair that was far too short for his liking. When he pulled back he found Misao still smiling at him in that Soushi-like way. And then suddenly it faded, replaced with a sad, panicky expression.

"Soushi, you shouldn't do that," Misao whispered, sounding close to tears. "When you take over my body like that, the remains of your core fade away ever faster... But I guess he just wanted to make his point." Misao looked at Kazuki expectantly. "Did he?"

"Yes, he did," Kazuki nodded after a moment's silence, taking Misao's hand into his own. "Kurusu... let's go upstairs."

* * *

><p>Kazuki felt nervous as hell as he led Misao into his bedroom. Misao gazed around as inquisitively as ever, before flopping down on the bed. Kazuki almost laughed out loud when Misao started bouncing up and down on the bed like an excited child.<p>

"Hey, Kazuki, this is fun! You should join in."

The butterflies in Kazuki's stomach increased, knowing this wouldn't be the only kind of 'fun' they'd be having on his bed...

"Wait there, Kurusu. I've just got to fetch something from the bathroom."

Misao stopped his bouncing and looked up at Kazuki, his face flushed from his exertions. "Eh? What kind of something?"

"You'll see soon." With that Kazuki hurried off to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and gazed into the bathroom mirror, trying to calm himself down.

Misao had removed his jacket and scarf, and sat nervously fiddling with the bedcover, when Kazuki returned. He glanced up, blushing when his eyes met Kazuki's.

"Are you alright, Kurusu?" Kazuki asked him gently, sitting down beside him.

"Yeah, I've just... never done anything like this before; obviously. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do..." Misao admitted.

Kazuki felt rather bad about the idea of making love to someone that didn't have a clue what was going on. "What did Soushi tell you about this when he asked for your permission?"

"He said that when humans become close and care for each other greatly they make love. He said that you would touch my body and be... inside me. And that it would bring all three of us great pleasure."

"Ah, I see," Kazuki murmured in reply. _'No pressure there then, Soushi. This is almost like a threesome... And now I have two lovers to satisfy._' "Why don't you, um, finish getting undressed?"

"Alright..." Kazuki watched in appreciation as Misao removed the remainder of his Alvis uniform, taking in the sight of pale, unblemished skin. He'd already seen him naked on that boat, but he hadn't been in proper of a state of mind to notice much, too distracted by the fact that he wasn't Soushi. But now he had plenty of time to admire the view - and admire he did.

_'He really is cute,_' Kazuki thought, shifting uncomfortably as the heat rushed down to his groin.

When he had finished undressing, Misao smiled at him shyly. "Aren't you going to take off your clothes, too, Kazuki?"

"Um, yeah, of course." Kazuki wasted no time in following Misao's suggestion. It felt kind of weird to him, being naked in front of someone who he'd only known for a little while. "Kurusu, is, um... is Soushi still watching?"

Misao nodded, letting his eyes rove curiously over Kazuki's bare skin. "Yeah. He says that he's enjoying the view. ... Are you enjoying it too?"

"Yes, I am," Kazuki answered truthfully. He'd never really been that interested in looking at any other guys than Soushi. But he found himself very attracted to Misao, as well. He radiated an odd sort of innocence - and he was pretty good looking, too.

Kazuki reached out and rested a tentative hand on Misao's back, causing the brunette to jump in response. Kazuki pulled Misao closer, closing his eyes as they leant in to kiss. He wasn't sure how to treat this situation; should he just let himself imagine that he was touching Soushi instead? Isn't that why they were doing this in the first place, why Misao had agreed, so that he and Soushi could be together, even though Soushi didn't have a proper body yet?

"K-Kazuki," Misao whimpered, crawling forward so that he was sitting in Kazuki's lap. "I feel strange. My body feels burning hot, like it's on fire. Is that supposed to happen?"

"Ahh, yeah, it is," Kazuki replied through gritted teeth, grabbing Misao's hips and shifting him forward so that their erections brushed. "You're... you're just aroused."

Misao moaned, hiding his face against Kazuki's neck, feeling overwhelmed by all the new sensations he was experiencing.

Kazuki reached out a trembling hand, wrapping it around both their erections, stroking then against each other firmly. Kazuki bit his lip, holding in a loud cry. He felt like he could come right away, just from these simple touches.

"Kazuki, wait," Misao gasped out suddenly, trying to push Kazuki's hand away. "I want- I want to try something."

"Try something?" Kazuki echoed, feeling equally breathless.

"Yes. Please lie down."

Kazuki laid back against the soft pillows, watching in disbelief as Misao moved to sit between his legs, leaning in towards his erection. He tilted his head to the side, giving it the same fascinated look he'd been giving his spoonful's of food earlier.

_'Wait - is he really going to...?_' Kazuki's thoughts were cut off as Misao licked experimentally along the length of his penis, before taking the tip into his mouth.

A loud cry of pleasure ripped from Kazuki's throat. His hands twitched at his sides, and grasped tightly at the bedcover, resisting the temptation to grab hold of Misao's head and just shove himself all the way into that warm, wet mouth.

"Ahh! Yes! S-soushi!"

Misao's eyes flickered up to Kazuki's face briefly, a hint of sadness in the pale green orbs.

"-Sorry."

"It's alright," Misao mumbled around his mouthful, pulling another loud groan from Kazuki.

Kazuki shuddered as Misao sucked harder on his length, letting himself enjoy the feeling for a few more moments, before he sat up and pushed himself away from the other boy. "Kurusu, hang on. If you keep going, I'll come."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No - but I don't want to come so soon."

Misao gave him an innocently confused look. "Why not? Are you only allowed to come once when you're making love; is that a rule?"

Kazuki just chuckled quietly at that, and shook his head. "Kurusu, you lie down now. It's my turn to make you feel good."

Kazuki leaned in to kiss along Misao's neck. Misao sighed softly and shut his eyes, gasping as Kazuki traveled lower across his collarbone and chest, before taking a hardened nipple into his mouth, sucking gently.

"Aaah, Kazuki, that feels good," Misao moaned, arching off the bed slightly. "Please, please, I need-"

"What do you need?" Kazuki whispered heatedly, feeling his erection throb almost painfully at the look on Misao's face.

"Touch me, down there, where I was touching you,' Misao said, gesturing weakly between his legs. "Please. I feel like I'm going to burst…"

"Now you're the one who's going to come too quickly," Kazuki commented under his breath. Not that he was in a much better state.

Kazuki reached out and stroked down Misao's length, making him cry out and buck into his hand. _'This is probably as good a time as any…_' Kazuki mused as his eyes drifted over to the little bottle that had lain discarded on the blankets beside them until now.

Misao opened his eyes to see Kazuki reaching for the bottle. "What's that?" he panted.

"It's baby oil. It was all I could find, but it should work just fine. I'll use it to prepare you," Kazuki said, trying not to sound as embarrassed as he felt.

"Prepare me for what?" Misao asked, looking puzzled for a moment. But then his eyes widened in realisation and his cheeks turned pink. "Oh, right; I see. But… how can it fit in there? It's too big. I couldn't even fit that much in my mouth without it feeling uncomfortable…"

"You're flattering me a bit too much, Kurusu. But I'll prepare you very carefully if you're that worried about it."

"Okay," Misao nodded, looking up at him trustingly. "Soushi said it might hurt at first, but then it should feel good. I don't think you'd do anything to hurt us on purpose."

"Of course I wouldn't," Kazuki said as he opened the bottle of baby oil. He felt nervous and excited. And at the same time, he felt like he should be feeling guilty for doing this with someone other than Soushi. But in a way, Misao was Soushi, and Soushi wanted this too, so should he really be worrying about it...

"Kazuki? Kazuki! Are you alright?" Misao asked in concern, waving a hand in front of his face. "You went all blank there."

"Sorry - I was just thinking to myself about something," Kazuki said sheepishly.

Misao sat up and put his arms around Kazuki's neck, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "You don't have to feel guilty about doing this, Kazuki."

"S-soushi…" Kazuki whispered, still feeling a bit shocked every time Soushi's voice came out of Misao's mouth.

"You're keeping us waiting, Kazuki. I want to feel your touch; we both do."

"Soushi! Please stop doing that!" Misao whined in his own voice. "I keep telling you that you shouldn't. And you're making me say embarrassing things!"

"Kurusu."

"I keep telling him not to, but he feels like he needs to reassure you."

"Kurusu… try and relax now."

"Huh? -AH!" That was all the warning Misao got before he felt slick, warm fingers brushing against his entrance. "K-kazuki-!" he stammered, unconsciously tensing up as one of the fingers slowly slipped inside. "That feels… weird."

"Just relax," Kazuki whispered again, starting to slowly move his finger in and out. He felt himself tingling slightly with anticipation; if Misao felt this hot and tight around his fingers, imagine what he'll feel like when he actually entered him.

"Haa, nng- Kazuki! I-it hurts!" Misao cried out, scrunching his eyes shut and trembling. "M-make it feel better…"

"If you don't relax, it'll hurt even more," Kazuki said as he quickly added a second finger. He was beginning to wonder if he was doing something wrong - but surely there were only so many ways he could move his fingers...

After a few moments it seemed that Misao had taken his advice, and Kazuki felt the other boy loosening up around his fingers as he started to relax. "Are you alright, Kurusu?" he asked.

"Y-yes. It… doesn't feel so weird any more…" Misao's voice was breathy, and he moaned softly. "Go faster."

Kazuki did as he was asked, moving his fingers swiftly in and out, going deeper, trying to find Misao's sweet spot.

Misao gasped loudly suddenly, arching up off the bed. "Ahh! Kazuki! What was that? That felt really good just there. D-do it again."

"That was your prostate; a spot inside you that feels good when it's touched," Kazuki explained to him, angling his fingers so that they brushed against it again.

"Aaah!" Misao's head fell back against the pillow as he quickly became overcome with pleasure.

Kazuki swallowed weakly - he was getting harder just by watching him. "Can Soushi feel it too?"

Misao moaned softly again and nodded. "Yes. He says it feels good. Ah, don't stop!"

"-Let me hear him, too. Please, Kurusu."

Misao stared up at Kazuki, his eyes glazed with pleasure. He blinked a few times, before his eyes cleared and focused. "K-kazuki…!"

"Soushi!" A jolt of pleasure ran down Kazuki's spine at the sound of Soushi's voice saying his name like that. He pushed his fingers in faster; listening to Soushi's soft gasps and groans of pleasure.

"Kazuki… hurry up and take me! I want to feel you inside of me. Kurusu does, as well. Don't feel bad about using him like this - he wants you, too."

Soushi's deep moans were soon replaced by Misao's more high-pitched cries. "-He's making me say embarrassing things again," he panted, his face flushed and sweaty.

Misao groaned in protest as Kazuki removed his fingers. "Why did you stop?"

Kazuki reached out and ran his hands down Misao's thighs, spreading them and resting them on either side of his own. "Kurusu, I'm going to take you now," he said, reaching for the baby oil again. "It might hurt more at first, but then it should feel much better than my fingers. Just remember to stay relaxed."

Misao couldn't help but jump as his felt the wet tip of Kazuki's erection pressing against his entrance. "K-kazuki…" he said, voice barely audible as he trembled with both nerves and anticipation. "Do it, Kazuki; take me."

Without further hesitation, Kazuki pushed forward, a low groan escaping him as the tip slid inside. Misao was far more vocal, crying out loudly and grabbing desperately at the bedcover to steady himself.

Kazuki paused, exhaling and looking down at Misao in concern. "Are- are you all right?" he asked unevenly, forcing himself to stay still until Misao was ready. _'He's so tight… I just want to take him hard and fast_.'

Misao bit his lip, holding in a whimper. "Y-yeah, I'm ok," he answered, even as tears started to trickle down his cheeks. "It's just all so new to me. I feel overwhelmed."

"Me, too…"

Misao's trembling ceased for a moment as he gazed up at Kazuki in confusion. "But… haven't you and Soushi made love before?"

Kazuki's head bowed, fringe covering his eyes. "Only in my dreams…" he said, a bitter smile flickering across his lips. "The Festum took him away before I could tell him that I loved him."

Misao looked away almost guiltily. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You don't need to apologise." Kazuki sighed; he didn't want to have this conversation right now - frankly, all he wanted to do right now was to thrust forward into the brunette's warm, inviting body. It was agony just sitting there, partly inside; and now Misao seemed to have become sidetracked.

_'I should remind him what we're in the middle of here..._'

Kazuki shifted his hips, slowly nudging himself inside an inch or so more.

The effect was immediate. Misao's eyes went wide as saucers and he groaned into the pillow, fists clenching reflexively. "Aaah. Kazuki! T-that feels-!"

"Kurusu…" Kazuki almost growled, tilting Misao's face towards his and kissing him hungrily. He couldn't hold back any longer, his mouth muffling both their cries as he slid the rest of the way in, sheathing himself fully.

Misao pulled away, gasping for breath and struggling to adjust to the sudden sense of fullness. _'He's stretching me wider than his fingers did. I feel like I'm going to burst again…_'

"Sorry, Kurusu, I couldn't help myself," Kazuki apologised, his breath hot against Misao's face. "Am I hurting you?"

"N-no, not really. I just feel… full. It's strange, but, it's good," Misao stammered, his faced flushed red and covered in sweat. After a moment a look came over his face as though a thought had suddenly occurred to him. "Oh, Kazuki. I just realised something, you were right: it did fit after all."

Kazuki burst out laughing at this, but Misao didn't seem to mind. This really wasn't how Kazuki imagined his first time would go.

"So, now what happens?" Misao asked him innocently.

Kazuki's eyes locked with Misao's. "Now I pound you so hard you'll be screaming in ecstasy."

Misao's breath caught in his throat at the sound of pure desire in his voice. In the next instant, Kazuki had pulled all the way out, before thrusting back in fast.

Misao did scream as his prostate was hit dead on, sending a jolt of pleasure through him. "Kazuki! Yes! There!"

Kazuki felt Misao's erection, which had softened somewhat from the pain and discomfort of penetration, come to life again, hard and aching between them. He pulled one hand away from the vice-like grip he'd had on Misao's hips, and started to stroke the boy's length.

"Ahh, you like that, Kurusu?" Kazuki gasped out raggedly as he kept up a swift stream of deep thrusts. He felt almost light-headed from the pleasure. _'Damn it, I wish I could see his face clearly. I bet he looks hot. He sounds hot… Does Soushi sound like this, too? Does Soushi feel like this…?_'

"Kazuki! Kazuki! More!" Misao pleaded breathlessly into his ear, wrapping both his legs around Kazuki's waist, and clinging to his shoulders desperately, just enjoying the ride and letting Kazuki set the pace.

He was going to come, Kazuki realised. He was going to come any minute now. He didn't want it to be over so quickly; for all he knew, this might be the closest he'd ever get to Soushi, and he wanted to savour it.

"Kurusu… Soushi…" Kazuki moaned, his stomach tensing in anticipation as his climax neared. He thrust harder; he knew he was being too rough, that Misao would probably be sore and uncomfortable later on. But he couldn't help it, and Misao didn't seem to be complaining.

"Kazuki! I'm, I'm going to-" Misao cut himself off, moaning as his body was rocked back and forth. He buried a hand in Kazuki's dark hair, pulling his face closer. "Kazuki…" he whispered, this time in Soushi's voice.

"Soushi!" Kazuki kissed him again, mouths opening and tongues coming out to play with each other. He felt Misao's entrance clamp down around him tightly as he reached his climax; body spasming and warm come splashing against their stomachs. Misao's scream of pleasure drove Kazuki over the edge, letting out his own loud cries as he came deep within the other boy.

Misao's legs loosened their grip around Kazuki's hips, and his arms fell limply to his sides as they both just lay there for a moment, enjoying the afterglow.

Kazuki braced himself on his elbows, staring down at Misao's tired, sweaty face, before he slowly moved off of him and lay down beside him.

Misao turned his head to look at him, a blissful expression on his face. "Kazuki… we became one. I'm so happy - Soushi is, too," he said, before yawning widely. "Hm, sorry; I'm really tired now…"

"Go to sleep then, Kurusu," Kazuki said softly.

"OK… You should sleep, too, Kazuki. You look tired as well."

"I will. But first I just wanted to get something to clean us up with." Kazuki blinked in surprise as Misao's hand latched onto his wrist, tugging him back down.

"Do that later. For now, just rest, Kazuki," Misao said, pulling Kazuki down so that his head was pillowed against Misao's chest.

Kazuki sighed, and decided to give in. The rhythmic sound of Misao's heart beat making him feel even sleepier. He closed his eyes, sighing contentedly as warm, nimble fingers started to comb soothingly through his hair.

"Goodnight, Kazuki."

Kazuki smiled tiredly; this time not at all surprised by the sound of Soushi's voice. "Goodnight, Soushi."

* * *

><p>An overwhelming feeling of warmth and contentment had settled over Kazuki when he finally opened his eyes again. <em>'Hmm… Where am I? My bedroom?<em>' he thought to himself, his mind still feeling fuzzy from sleep. He looked up at the darkened ceiling, gathering his bearings. _'Was I asleep? Why?_'

"Hmmm…"

Kazuki sat bolt upright at the quiet sound, and looked over to where Misao still lay sleeping beside him; his arms wrapped tightly a pillow, nuzzling against it, a peaceful smile upon his face.

The memory of that afternoon suddenly came flooding back to Kazuki at full force, and he flushed in reaction. _'I really… did that with Kurusu? That probably wasn't the wisest thing I could have done. But I don't regret it._'

Kazuki slowly crawled out of bed, careful not to wake Misao. He grimaced at the sticky feeling covering his stomach and groin. _'Urg, I'd better have a wash. Kurusu will probably want one, too...'_

"Damn it, it's so dark in here,' Kazuki murmured, fumbling about for the light switch. He froze as something occurred to him, and he stared over at the window with mounting distress; it was pitch black outside.

"What time is it? Just how long have we been gone for, anyway?" Kazuki wondered out loud, feeling an urge to burry his head in his hands in despair. "I told the guards we wouldn't be gone for long. I'm surprised they haven't sent out a search party by now…"

The sound of movement outside his room made Kazuki jerk his head back towards his door.

"Kazuki, are you in there?"

"D-dad?" Kazuki stammered. "Er, yeah, I'm here. I'm just-" He paused. _'Wait, what can I say? Sorry for being gone for so long, dad; Kurusu and I were so tired out after having sex that we fell asleep and lost track of time? Yeah, I'm sure that will go down well…_'

Kazuki hastily pulled on some short and a t-shirt, before opening the bedroom door a fraction, smiling nervously up at his father. "Er, good evening, dad. What is it?"

"Kazuki, where have you been all day? The guards told me you took Misao-kun away with you early this afternoon. Is he in there with you?"

"Yes, he's… sleeping," Kazuki replied. "After taking him for a tour of the island he got really tired, so he took a nap."

"In your bed?"

"Um, yeah."

"… naked?" Fumihiko said, glancing over Kazuki's shoulder and taking in the sight of the discarded Alvis uniforms that lay strewed across the floor. "It looks like you joined him, too…"

"Er…" Kazuki trailed off in embarrassment, not sure how to respond to that.

"Kazuki…"

Kazuki spun around at the sound of Misao's voice. The other boy was sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

"What's going on?" Misao blinked and then smiled brightly when he noticed Fumihiko, and started to clamber to his feet. "Oh, hi, Fumihiko!"

"Kurusu, go back to sleep!"

"Eh? But I've only just woken up. And I'm feeling hungry again, Kazu-" Misao froze mid sentence and slumped back down onto the bed, cringing in pain. "I feel really sore inside. Is that normal, too?"

"… Yes," Kazuki said weakly.

"Maybe I should lay down for a while longer," Misao said to himself.

"Good idea," Kazuki agreed, not exactly thrilled at the prospect of a naked Misao leaping out of bed and parading around in front of his father.

Fumihiko cleared his throat. "Kazuki, can I have a word with you downstairs?"

Kazuki nodded, and followed Fumihiko down to the living room, taking a seat at the table. He fiddled nervously with his hands, unable to meet his father's gaze.

"Let me just start off by saying that I would never hate you for being yourself, and I just want you to be happy - I think I can say that on behalf of your mother, too," Fumihiko began, his voice calm despite the awkwardness of the situation. "But sneaking a boy, who isn't even really human, who you've only known for a day, out of his cell so that you can take him home and have sex with him wasn't the smartest thing you could have done."

"T-that's not how it happened! I didn't sneak him out. And I didn't take him with me with that in mind. I just took him to the cafe and then the house to get some more food. And then he… asked me."

"Some people will probably say it's a good, healthy thing; that you're letting yourself heal and move on after losing the one that you loved-"

"Soushi isn't dead! He's coming back!" Kazuki exclaimed heatedly. He bowed his head shamefully a moment later at his outburst. "Sorry, dad, I didn't mean to shout at you like that…"

"It's alright, Kazuki."

"You… you know how I feel about Soushi?" Kazuki asked cautiously.

"Yes. I think it's pretty clear to most of us," Fumihiko said, a fond smile crossing his lips. "And a few years ago, when we first thought that Soushi-kun had been killed by the Festum, what you said to me then, how you felt the same about Soushi being dead as I had when Akane died – that made me realise just how important he is to you."

"And you don't hate me for it?"

"Kazuki, what did I just say? You're my son; I could never hate you." Fumihiko frowned. "Which just makes me all the more confused about Misao-kun. I never thought you would fall for anyone other than Soushi-kun. So why did you do it?"

"Because it was Soushi's wish."

"Kurusu…" Kazuki whispered as the other boy made his way over to them on rather unsteady looking legs, and took a seat - thankfully he'd managed to put on some of his Alvis uniform before he'd come down.

"Since Soushi was assimilated, he and I are connected, in a way. He sees and feels as I do," Misao explained to Fumihiko. "And since I was created in a human form, Soushi asked me if I would let him and Kazuki be together, even though he doesn't have his own body yet."

"Is THAT why Soushi-kun sent you here?"

Misao laughed softly, despite the embarrassed blush that covered both he and Kazuki's faces. "Ha, no, no; I'm here for the reasons I told you before."

"Ah, I see."

"Oh, oh!" Misao exclaimed suddenly, leaping forwards and banging his fists on the table as he'd done earlier that day. "You don't have to worry, Fumihiko - Kazuki is very loyal to Soushi! He didn't want to make love to me at first; Soushi had to convince him."

"Kurusu!" Kazuki hissed, looking rather mortified.

"But I'm glad he did, because I really enjoyed it," Misao continued cheerfully, turning to Kazuki with shining, expectant eyes. "You enjoyed it too, right, Kazuki?"

Kazuki sighed in defeat. "Yes, I did. But please, Kurusu, please stop talking."

"Why? What's wro-" Misao froze, his eyes going wide as a large plateful of chocolate cake was set down in front of him.

"Kazuki chocolate cake," Kazuki informed him briefly. "Now it eat and stop saying embarrassing things."

Luckily for Kazuki, Misao was easily distracted by food, and he happily started eating.

"Kurusu, you're getting it over your face again."

"Ah, sorry, Kazuki."

Fumihiko smiled to himself in amusement, before slowly getting up. "Well, I'm still not feeling so well, so I'll be heading off to bed now. You boys should do the same soon."

"Good night, dad. I hope you feel better in the morning. But doesn't Kurusu have to go back to Alvis now?"

"It's gone 11pm, Kazuki; he can stay here for the night."

"11pm!" Kazuki echoed in amazement. "How could we have been gone for so-"

"Kazuki, say 'ah'," Misao's playful voice cut in, holding up a forkful of chocolate cake to the other boy's mouth.

Kazuki rolled his eyes begrudgingly, before accepting the food, chewing slowly.

"You cook such nice food, Kazuki," Misao said almost dreamily, taking the fork out of Kazuki's mouth and helping himself to some more cake.

Fumihiko leaned back against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he watched the pair sharing their cake. "You two make a surprisingly cute couple," he commented.

"What?" Kazuki yelped, almost choking again.

Misao grinned, slinging an arm around Kazuki's shoulder and pulling him close. "Thanks, Fumihiko! Good night." He held out some more cake to Kazuki. "Here—"

"Kurusu, stop it, will you," Kazuki grumbled, swatting at the other boy's hand and trying to remove his arm from his shoulder. "Anyway, dad was right; we should be going to sleep soon, too."

Misao smirked, before whispering, "What's wrong; don't you like it when I feed you?"

"S-Soushi? No, no, I don't mind," Kazuki replied, instantly changing his tune.

"Will you cook me some more of your food when I get back?"

"Yes, of course! I'd love to."

"I'll look forward to it." Misao's eyes suddenly narrowed determinedly, and he put his hand on top of Kazuki's, talking in his own voice again, "Soushi will be back home again soon, Kazuki. He'll definitely be home soon."

And as it turned out, Misao was right.

* * *

><p>Kazuki felt tired, so, so tired. He forced his eyes open, staring up at the brilliant blue sky, his mind slowly started to feel less numb as the pieces of the day's events came back to him.<p>

Fighting against Misao in his Fafner; trying to absorb Misao's assimilation into himself; the NEO UN planes appearing and trying to nuke both the islands; Misao flying out in his true Festum form and absorbing the blast; Mark Nicht shielding him from the explosion...

And then…

Kazuki watched in a daze as a blurry figure appeared above him.

"Kazuki!" a now familiar voice called to him.

"Kurusu, is that you?" Kazuki asked quietly, desperately trying to get his eyes to focus.

"I only wanted to take away what's blocking you from enjoying the beautiful sky," Misao's voice continued. "I'm sorry for doing such a selfish act. But now you can see the sky, I'm very happy."

"He stopped breathing after saying that."

Kazuki's breath caught in his throat, his brown eyes widening in shock. _'What? No, it can't be. That voice… He must just be talking through Kurusu again. He-_-'

Kazuki tried to stop the hot, burning feeling of anticipation from growing inside his chest as that beloved voice continued talking.

"One day you could end up at the place where he's being reborn. If at that time you couldn't see the blue sky, it'd be a pity. That was his last thought."

Tears began to well up in Kazuki's eyes, trickling down his cheeks. "… Is it you?" he managed to ask. _'Please, please let it be him. Please let it be real…_'

Kazuki's vision grew clearer as each second passed, and then finally, finally, he could see him; his dark golden blond hair shining in the sunlight, his eyes as rich and azure as the sky above them. Even the scar across his left eye, as clear as day, just as he remembered.

"I can see…" Kazuki whispered brokenly, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly as the tears of joy and relief fell. "I can see you."

"Thank you, Kazuki. For protecting the island, my home," Soushi said, his own eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Kazuki reached out his hand, and Soushi caught it firmly, pulling Kazuki into a sitting position. They gazed at each other for a moment, just basking in the feeling of being reunited at long last.

"Welcome home," Kazuki said a warm smile covering his face, as he realised that all the heartache he'd been through the last two years had been worth it, just to be able to say these words, "Welcome home… Soushi!"


End file.
